Dim the Lights
by DeathSerenade
Summary: Levi has been thinking about the green-eyed young man at Hanji's bakery for months now. Having finally worked up the courage to make a move, he decides to finally face him at his birthday party, which is being held at Erwin's mansion, and hopefully gain something better than utter rejection from the night. Lots of sarcasm and insults from the ever awkward-at-socializing Levi.
1. Birthdays and Other Crap

Welcome to my first completed fanfic. It's technically a two-shot, but that sounds like some sort of double-gun inflicted wound so I'm just going to call it an extra-long oneshot because that's what it was originally meant to be anyway... Until it got too long and I got caught up in the story between these fabulous characters who may or may not be totally OOC. I completely apologize in advance, just in case. So it's basically fluff with a bit of a plot, and it's honestly pretty cute.  
This first chapter is mostly Levi being awkward and cursing at everything and everyone – and meeting Eren... and you'll see what happens.  
I somehow managed to write about 11k words using only 4 characters and "the crowd" which weirdly reminds me of those Shakespearean choruses, but whatever. I'm going on a tangent again...  
Well, I reeeally hope you enjoy this fic, because I seriously worked my ass off on it, even if it is just two chapters.  
Please give me feedback, I'd love to hear your opinions on it!

* * *

Fucking _birthday_ party.

He would rather stick his ass in a rotting pile of squirrel carcasses.

This was all the fault of that damn glasses freak Hanji, Levi thought to himself as he stared blankly into his closet for something suitable to wear. Even though it was his own birthday party he was attending - Hanji had organized it against his will on the pretext of making it "a combo Christmas and birthday party! It'll be great!" - he didn't want to walk in looking like a garbage bag that had just been run over by a UPS truck. Having just come out of a workout session in his spare-bedroom-turned-to-gym, he was covered in sweat and smelled like something Hanji might cook for dinner (something habitually toxic and possibly radioactive).

He gave up on looking for clothes and stepped into the shower, deciding to put the decision-making off until after he had soaked in hot water for a bit.

After ten minutes of humming peaceful songs in the shower - there was one in particular that he liked which had some nice recurring lyrics like "don't fuck with me" - Levi stepped back into his room, picking jackets and shirts randomly out of his closet. According to Hanji, she had invited a bunch of people, which he took to mean approximately fifty or so. Maybe more. Apparently, it was being held at Erwin's house, which was more of a mansion than anything else, that rich bastard. Erwin was the director of a large watch company in the city that his late father had owned, but he and Levi and Hanji had been inseparable friends since middle school, so it didn't really matter.

In other words, Levi preferred to look nice. Especially since it was also a Christmas party, and it was usually expected to look at least halfway decent for those. He raised an eyebrow at the variety of clothes that he had laid on his bed: black band tee-shirt, black jeans, black jacket, black polo... dark gray hoodie. So much for liking monochrome a bit too much. He couldn't deny that having to look for the right clothes to pair up every morning was a shitty waste of time, but... He could probably afford to add some color to his wardrobe.

Levi checked again in his closet, finally finding a dark red button up shirt. He opted for pairing it with the black skinny jeans, and pulled on his trusty, never-go-out-without leather jacket. He snapped on a couple spike bracelets too, just in case shitheads got in his way and he didn't want to put too much effort in giving them hell. He touched his earlobes carefully, making sure his little stud earrings were still in place. Perf-

His phone started buzzing and ringing uncontrollably, to an annoying Electric Six song that Hanji had probably set up while he wasn't paying attention - "I wanna take you to a gay bar!" sang the phone, and Hanji was definitely fucking with him because she knew very well that he liked men, and thank _god_ that shit wasn't ringing in a public place. He could hear it loud and clear, but had absolutely not idea where the hell it was. Where the fuck... Ah. Finally finding it under his bed, he put it to his ear, which was a grave mistake.

"Levi!" squealed a (very) loud voice on the other end.

Levi cringed, quickly extending his arm so that the infernal electronic device was at least two feet away from his ear. "I see you still remain unaware that when speaking on a phone, you don't need to fucking scream, you blind monkey."

"I'm outside waiting!" cried Hanji excitedly. "I'm outside your apartment, so hurry up!"

"I'm not done yet, fucktard," retorted Levi, walking calmly into the bathroom. He began debating whether or not he should add some eyeliner. At the café he owned and worked at, he did it sometimes and no one seemed to mind, although most of his friends and acquaintances - Hanji included - hadn't seen him more than once wearing any.

"You take more time than a chick, god!" continued Hanji.

"Patience is a virtue, four-eyes. And I don't give a crap, it's my party anyway." Yeah, it was his party. Therefore, no one could tell him whether or not to wear eyeliner. Done, decision made. He didn't give a shit what people thought of him anyway, which was the rule he usually lived by.

"I'm coming in, Levi! Don't be naked, 'kay?"

"Wh-" Levi started, but the call was ended on the other line, and he heard a key turning in his apartment door. He forever cursed the day he gave Hanji a key. It was like giving a rabid gorilla access to his home and all his valuables.

"Hanji, stay in the living room and don't break anything," he yelled over his shoulder. He went back to the painstaking task of applying a thin black line right above and under his eye.

As he finished, capping the eyeliner pencil, the door burst open loudly, and the already cramped bathroom was suddenly full of Hanji, whose general aura always seemed to take up more space than necessary.

"You jumped! I saw you! I _scared_ you!" sang Hanji obnoxiously.

"Are you capable of shutting your trap for any longer than ten seconds? Holy shit, you're like a five year old. And also, I could have been taking a shit in here; you wouldn't want to see that. Crappy people with no boundaries..." he muttered under his breath.

"If you were taking a shit, you would have locked the door. I know you."

Levi rolled his eyes and crouched down to put the eyeliner back in the drawer under the sink.

"Are you wearing eyeliner?" asked Hanji incredulously. "Hey, turn around so I can see how you look, birthday boy!"

"Don't call me that, it makes me sound like a five year-old brat." Reluctantly, Levi turned around, earning a gasp from the woman in his bathroom.

"Holy shit, Levi, you look pretty hot."

"Really."

"Yes, really!" Hanji let out a low whistle. "Your eyes are like - BAM! - with that eyeliner, you know? In a good way, of course. And your hair looks nice too," she added, reaching out a hand to playfully twist a couple locks of his bangs.

Levi slapped her hand away. "Thanks. Yeah, I own something called a comb, unlike -" He cut himself off, getting a better view of how Hanji herself looked. Undeniably, and quite surprisingly, she looked stunning, in a low-cut, V-neck red dress that came down just above her knees, and hair that was, for once, pulled out of the habitual messy ponytail-bun slash fuzzy-caterpillar-like object and was instead hanging in loose curls around her shoulders.

"Oh," he said pointedly. "You look pretty nice," he mumbled, smiling slightly.

"Aww, Levi, you're too kind," she grinned, reaching out to give him a tight hug, which Levi returned stiffly. "Happy 27th birthday. I'm sure everyone will fall for you," she added in a soft whisper.

"I don't want a horde of drunk pigs all over me, thank you very much."

"Oh, Levi. Always such sweet words," she gushed sarcastically. "Come on, get in the damn car, we'll be late!"

XxX

"Hanji, your car smells like cinnamon rolls and pine needles. It's weird and it reminds me of a grandmother's basement."

Hanji just nodded, obviously paying absolutely no attention to what he was saying, and was wearing a smile so wide it was almost creepy, as she stared intently down the road lit by headlights and the occasional streetlamp. Cheesy, superficial Christmas songs blared on the radio, about reindeer and broken hearts and people coming home and other sappy shit, while they were ironically headed to a wild party where he expected everyone to come out either high, drunk or both. She was wearing a Santa Claus hat shoved onto her auburn hair in a sort of lopsided way, and she had somehow managed to get Levi to wear one too, which had somehow diminished the punk-grunge look he had been aiming for.

It was okay, though, because if he took it off, the Hanji of Christmas Present would berate him with threats of blackmail and rumor spreading - she had in her possession a certain picture of twenty-five year-old Levi grinding on a pole when he was probably more drunk than he had ever been, and he really didn't want that circulating around.

Levi cleared his throat in an attempt to sound as casual as possible. "Is that green-eyed brat from your bakery going to be there?"

"You mean Eren? Yeah, why?" asked Hanji, suppressing an amused smile.

"Wondering," replied Levi absently, turning his face to the side, toward the window. His face was getting hot. He leaned over to turn down the hellish heat waves that were circulating in the small car.

"He's the best cake-maker in my kitchen, you know?" She paused, taking a moment to recall something. "Come to think of it," Hanji said, smirking, "I heard you gave that same green-eyed brat your number a couple days ago."

"The fuck are you talking about," murmured Levi, fumbling with the knobs on the dashboard and accidentally sending a blast of hot air into his face.

"Stop lying, Levi. You brought him up in the first place." _And that was probably a big mistake_ , thought Levi.

"He keeps staring at me; what was I supposed to do?!" he snapped.

"Every time I see you, you're staring at him back!"

"I am not, fucker."

"Oh come on, Levi, you come to my bakery every single freaking day during _his_ shift at the register to buy your daily chocolate croissant when your own café has the same ones!"

"I don't want to waste the ones that we sell."

"God, Levi, you stole him during his break and gave him your number! I mean, you usually deal out death threats to people who look at you like that."

"I sure hope that it didn't look like a death threat, from his point of view," said Levi in frustration. "Because I was mostly just trying and failing to ask him out," he mumbled bitterly, more to himself than to Hanji.

"You were going to ask him out?"

Levi scowled in irritation, although he didn't deny it. The brat was pretty damn attractive, and had the most gorgeous green eyes he had ever set sight upon, but he would drink a jar of piss before ever admitting that to Hanji.

"Awww... sweetie," she sighed.

"Shut up, shit for brains."

"You should totally try to make a move tonight! It's your birthday."

"And being utterly rejected for my birthday would probably suck ass!" Levi huffed impatiently. "How the hell do you know about all this phone number business, anyway? You were out when it happened."

"Oh, he was casually bragging about it to the whole freaking kitchen, grinning and clutching that piece of paper like he had won the damn lottery. He definitely likes you," said Hanji, turning and winking at him.

Why was he having such a hard time believing that? "I don't know... I mean, look, Hanji, I'm just not generally the type of person people like, okay?" Hanji was known for her rather large coefficient of exaggeration, and on top of that, why would Eren brag about a short, pissed-looking (his default expression, he couldn't help it), punk-rock-like dude with black painted fingernails, suddenly dragging him off to a table in a corner, in order to roughly shove in his hand a ripped receipt with his phone number hastily scrawled on it, only to forcefully storm off a moment later? He hadn't been able to work up the courage to fully ask him out, so he had walked away, hoping the younger man had missed his burning red face. "I'm pretty sure I came across as intimidating and weird, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's too freaked out to talk to me tonight. He didn't even call me."

"I think that was the point. I think he's waiting to see you tonight."

"Hanji, I don't even know for sure that he's gay!"

"Oh yeah, he is."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Well, I was bored one day and asked him what kind of people he liked, right? And he started being all blubbery and blushy and started saying something like 'I like guys who -', and then he cut himself off and covered his mouth and turned away. I told him I didn't give a shit if he was gay and that my best friend was gay, so to me it really didn't matter."

"... Oh."

"I think he figured out that I was referring to _you_ , by the way."

Levi sighed, running his fingers through the bangs that were sticking out under his Christmas hat. Any other person would probably have celebrated at a revelation like that one, but no, not him. He didn't know what to believe. He had to figure out a way to overcome his self-confidence issues. It was part of the reason why he had such a filthy mouth; to seem tougher and harder, so people would stay away from him, and he wouldn't have to talk. He wasn't sure how that all made sense, but over time, the cursing part at least had definitely grown on him.

As he leaned his elbow on the armrest on the side of the passenger seat, he noticed that they were entering a driveway. _The_ driveway, in fact, Erwin's mile long private highway - seriously, he had never seen another driveway so long and majestic - that had to be separated from the main road by a set of wrought-iron gates that only opened when you pressed the little aiphone button and announced the reason of your presence. Hanji took care of that, and the gates swung open before them, Hanji driving on.

"Oh my god, Levi, we're here," she whispered excitedly. Levi looked up and saw Erwin's house rising up before them, shining brightly with white hanging lights lining the roof and windows, making the whole thing look like some sort of heavenly beacon, and there was Erwin in the doorway, waving to them in all of his tall, muscular blondness. Fucking Captain America.

"There are already, what, at least forty cars here? How many people are at this party?" asked Levi, incredulous.

"A lot. But I'm pretty sure they're all here already; they're probably just waiting for you."

Levi got out of the car, shivering in the cold winter air. Cold as a witch's fucking titties. Wrapping his arms around himself, he trudged over to where Erwin was standing at the front door. It was beginning to snow pretty hard, and he swore to god that if anyone started singing the _Frozen_ soundtrack, he would be gone in an instant, before any crapface was able to wish him a happy birthday. Rubbing his hands against each other, he pounded up the stairs in front of the door, getting rid of most of the snow on his combat boots as he did so.

"Nice to see you, Levi," said Erwin, grinning widely in a handsome burgundy suit. He reached out an arm to greet him with a hug and a couple pats on the back.

"Always so formal, Erwin," responded Levi after pulling away. Erwin was a decent enough (excellent) friend. When they both had come out as gay around junior year of high school, they had dated for about a month before realizing that friendship was what fit them best and broke up. He was one of the only people Levi fully trusted. Erwin was what one would call a good person. He was intelligent, tall - at least a foot taller than Levi's five foot three stature, and oh, how he hated him sometimes for it - good-looking, and quite generous. The downside to Erwin was that he had the tendency to want things to go his way. Levi couldn't really say anything, though, seeing as he himself was an often self-centered asshole with an extremely uncensored mouth and a generally irritated look. He couldn't help priding himself in it, though, watching people take a look at him and turn away, a bit too intimidated to talk to him.

Levi was sucked out of his train of thought when suddenly, an immense crowd exploded into the large entryway from every single possible place not visible from Levi's point of view, shouting a not-entirely-in-sync but hugely enthusiastic "Happy Birthday!"

Levi felt his face grow warmer as he recognized most of the faces, and a smile slowly spread across his lips, which quickly blossomed into a grin. He really hadn't expected so much.

"Fuck, Erwin, I don't deserve this," he muttered as a table with a large cake was rolled out into the dining room.

"It's for Christmas too, so don't worry about it," said Erwin. "I just thought it would be fun to have a small party for your birthday, and then I decided that since it was a holiday too, we could just have an even bigger party with, uh... everyone."

"Levi, I love you so much," exclaimed Hanji, who had just walked in, rubbing Levi's head and pulling him into a tight bear hug.

"God, Hanji, let go."

Erwin just laughed.

"Erwin... Is that mistletoe in the corner over there?" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, yes. That was Hanji's idea; she said you might have some plans with someone?"

 _God damn it, Hanji._ "The monkey has no idea what she's talking about."

"Levi has a crush," piped in Hanji. "On a guy from my bakery," she added in a whisper. Levi kicked her in the shin, hard enough that she buckled down onto her knees. "God damn it! That hurt!"

Erwin chuckled. "Um, Levi, just so you know, don't do anything more than making out under the mistletoe, okay? You're all free to use the rooms upstairs if you have any further bodily urges, except for the ones that are locked. And as long as you clean up after you're done."

"I don't fucking -" Levi began to retort angrily, until he glimpsed Eren himself waving at him brightly from the room where most people were crowded around in, drinking and laughing and talking loudly. He was wearing a tight white button-up shirt tucked snugly into straight-legged jeans, although his hair was messily tousled as usual. Levi paled, then nervously waved back.

Erwin caught his line of vision. "Ahhh. _That_ one. Good call, Levi, he's pretty cute."

Levi flushed, then was nearly knocked off his feet by Hanji, who had suddenly gotten up off the ground to push him in Eren's direction. "Go for it," she grinned.

"Damn you all..." he groaned.

"I'll tell him myself, if you won't," said Hanji, cupping a hand around her mouth. "Hey, E-"

"Shut up! God, does your ass ever get jealous of the amount of shit that comes out of your mouth?" snapped Levi irritably. "I'll be the one telling him, got it?" he continued, as he straightened up and began walking towards the man with those perfect, amazing green eyes.

"Good luck!" yelled Erwin behind him. Levi did his best to ignore him. "I bet they'll at least be making out by the end of the night," said Erwin to Hanji.

"I bet they'll be waking up in one of those guest bedrooms naked tomorrow," replied Hanji, causing them both to erupt in peals of laughter.

"I can still fucking hear you," growled Levi, turning his head to face them.

As he turned back, he was met with a shock as he found Eren standing directly in front of him. _Shit_ , he thought to himself. What in the name of all things holy was he supposed to do now?

Eren was the one who opened his mouth first, grinning nervously as he spoke. "Um, well... I guess I should start by saying happy birthday, right?" He paused _._ "Happy birthday."

"Thanks," replied Levi, rubbing his nape uncomfortably and looking away, anywhere except into those eyes, like galaxies swirling in infinities of... Fuck. His face was growing brick red again - and it frustrated him even further that the top of his head only reached the bottom of Eren's god damned forehead. His thoughts were already flustered, but the place smelled like sweat and alcohol, and loud, bass-heavy, grungy music filled the rooms, distracting them yet further.

"Some party, huh?" smiled Eren. Levi looked up again, but turned his head away quickly, not able to maintain eye contact without making everything feel awkward and tense. Eren had a sweet, interesting smile; innocent yet playful, and there was something more about it that Levi couldn't quite place a finger on, a sort of wildness that he never failed to notice when he stopped by the bakery.

"Yeah." Levi coughed. "Do you want to go get a slice of cake?" he asked, still not risking a direct glance at him. _Damn, that was stupid_ , he thought bitterly. He could have said just about anything else. So much for avoiding communication with people. He fucking knew it would backfire on him one day.

"Maybe later," said Eren, swaying over to the side and tilting his head so that he was able to see Levi's face. "I'm sort of not hungry right now."

Eren's movement had unfortunately forced Levi to finally look at him, that captivating asshole. He was too close to him for comfort, so Levi quickly took a step back.

"Do you wanna go get a drink at the mini-bar?" continued Eren.

 _Oh, he knew that there was_ something _right about this guy._

"I could definitely use a beer or two," answered Levi, breathing a sigh of relief at the fact that the tension between the two had loosened up a bit. Alcohol was a great problem-solver (until you woke up with a pounding hangover and an unknown body under the covers next to you, which had happened to him once on the same night as Hanji had snapped that regrettable picture of him and the pole).

People were crowded around the bar - he still couldn't believe Erwin had a freaking bar in his house - like god damned flies around a pile of shit, leaving them a space barely wide enough for an ant to squeeze through. Levi pushed himself forcefully between the sweaty bodies. There was alcohol awaiting him at the end of this dark tunnel, he thought to himself as he cringed at the bodily odors surrounding him.

He felt Eren's upper body pressing against his, also trying to pass through the crowd. The boy was pretty muscular, he remarked. Finally arriving at the front of the mass with a great deal of pushing and shoving (and some nearly spilled drinks), Levi grabbed two cold beers. Holding them both in one hand, he got a third one, passing it to Eren.

"Guinness okay?" he asked him as he handed the bottle to him.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Good. Let's get out of here," said Levi, pulling Eren away by the arm. He noted in a satisfied way that the other seemed quite willing to follow him. Hah. He was in control now. They made their way to an unoccupied couch on a side of the room where they had a slightly higher chance of being able to hear each other over the commotion and the music. Levi plopped down onto the cushions, pulling Eren down next to him.

"Tell me more about yourself, Eren," said Levi, taking a swig out of beer bottle number one. Glancing towards the younger man, he was a bit surprised to see Eren's cheeks starting to redden. He wasn't sure whether it was an effect of the claustrophobic heat and scents in the room or something else, but it pleased him nonetheless.

"You're twenty-seven," mumbled Eren, seemingly unsure of himself.

"I fucking know that, and I'm asking about you."

"Yeah, I know, I know!" exclaimed Eren, quickly becoming more distressed. "This isn't coming out the way it should."

"What are you getting to?" asked Levi, trying his best to hide a smirk.

"Um, well, _I'm_ twenty-two. I guess you know this, but I work part-time at Hanji's... um, I guess you know that. Obviously," stammered Eren. " _Idiot,_ " he muttered to himself under his breath. Levi let an amused grin sweep across his lips, although he stayed quiet.

"Oh, here's something you don't know: I'm also in culinary school at Trost Culinary Institute," beamed Eren proudly.

Trost was right down the street from the bakery, and was well renowned for its chefs and bakers, so Levi assumed that attending there was no simple feat. "That's pretty impressive."

"I almost flunked out on the first day, though," Eren added, laughing. "It looked like I couldn't use a god damned electric mixer, but it turned out they had just given me a defective one. I got eggs and batter splattered all over myself, though, so I guess as far as first impressions go, mine wasn't a great one."

"The first time I saw you was at the bakery," murmured Levi thoughtfully, having only been halfway listening to Eren speak. He quickly realized that that sounded creepier than it was supposed to, and was about to say something else, but Eren was smiling, and his brain was momentarily turned into a pile of chocolate pudding (Baking on the mind, shit).

"And you kept coming back," added Eren, amused.

Levi made a sound between a scoff and a grunt. Reaching up to scratch his head as he often did in uncomfortable situations, he found that he was still wearing Hanji's shitty Santa hat. He tugged it off immediately, throwing it at Eren and glaring at it with hatred.

"Tell me why the fuck I was still wearing that stupid hat."

Eren burst into laughter, taking it into his hands. "You looked so adorable; I didn't want to say anything."

"Damn you, Eren," mumbled Levi as he took another sip of beer. He nearly choked on it when Eren unceremoniously shoved the Christmas hat back on his head. He slammed his beer back on the table and swiftly grabbed the younger man by the shoulders, pushing him down onto the couch as he chortled at Levi's discomfort.

"You little bitch," growled Levi.

"Bastard," corrected Eren. "It sounds more manly."

"Oh God, no."

"You know, I used to be pretty scared of you," said Eren, sitting up again and snatching the hat back. "You come in _every single_ weekday at _exactly_ the same time - it's pretty amazing, by the way, how you never come in more than a minute before or after nine o'clock - and you always wear that black leather jacket, and sometimes you have those spike bracelets you're wearing right now, and you never really smiled... To be honest, and no offense or anything, but you're a bit intimidating at first."

"I'm not generally a very joyous person," answered Levi. This was what everyone thought of him, so he couldn't really blame Eren for it. "And - listen, I'm sorry if I seemed really weird when I... When I, uh -"

"When you gave me your number?"

Levi flushed and downed another gulp of beer in a flimsy attempt to hide it. "Yeah."

"It's okay," said Eren quietly. Levi noticed that his green eyes were avoiding his gaze, and that his cheeks were rapidly gaining in color. "I... I sort of expected you to do something like that."

"Something like forcing you to take a crumpled receipt with my number on it and then running away?!"

"Well, not exactly like that, but... yeah."

"And why were you expecting that?"

"Well, you're pretty much the only person who never fails to come during my shift... Um, you sometimes take a bit of time to talk to me about, well, about things that are crappy around your café and people who bother you - and I notice you looking at me a lot when you're sitting at your table and eating your croissant."

"I do _not_! You're just always looking my way when I look your way, and..." Oh god, this was getting stressful, and he was having trouble coming up with more shit excuses. He desperately needed to change the subject. "You haven't taken a single sip of your beer. Drink."

Eren proceeded to obey with a small smile that infuriated Levi. He sat back on the couch and listened to the music that the DJ was playing, something older by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The song was almost over, though, and he caught Hanji sneak over to the DJ's table and whisper something in his ear. Fucking shit. The glasses monkey obviously had something in mind.

"I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden began playing, and Levi paled, putting down his bottle gently. _It was now or never_. Couples began to form, and he felt his stomach knot nervously. "Come," he ventured, staring at his beer.

"Where?" answered Eren.

Levi turned to him, incredulous. "Just... Do you want to dance?"

Eren blushed, hard. "It's a slow..."

"I fucking know, dimwit. It's a yes or no question, so -"

"Okay."

Levi's heart was beating about as fast as if it were on a sugar high. No, he thought, correcting himself. His heart was high on a desire for closer contact with Eren, enhanced by alcohol and the pungent scents of sweat and cake and the prospect of hopefully having accomplished something by the end of the night. Those ocean-green eyes had entranced him since the day Eren first began working at Hanji's back in September. He took his hand, pulling him up and dragging him toward the center of the floor, where people moved over to give them a bit of room in the midst of other tightly woven bodies.

Awkwardly, Levi placed his hands on Eren's shoulders, as Eren let his fall to Levi's waist. They began to sway to the music, slowly, uncertainly, but even so... Levi knew that he often acted emotionless and uncaring, but he enjoyed qualifying himself as a hopeless romantic fuck, and as the two gradually grew more comfortable with this contact with each other, he felt that there really _was_ something sparking between them (he tried not to get his hopes up too much). He felt Eren's arms gradually wrapping around the small of his back, rubbing tiny circles onto his spine and making Levi tighten his hold on the younger man's upper body, snaking his arms around Eren's shoulders.

"Those bracelets really suit you," said Eren, smiling. "They're pretty sharp, though."

"They're for immediate self-defense if I ever catch you making any sketchy moves toward me as we're dancing."

"You - you don't have to worry about that," murmured Eren, blushing furiously.

Levi couldn't help but smile, chuckling lightly at the boy's awkward attempts at what really seemed like blatant flirting.

Tentatively, Levi leaned his forehead onto Eren's upper chest. When, instead of apprehension, he felt the boy pulling him even closer, he took the risk of resting the side of his head on Eren's warm shoulder. Their chests touched, and Levi breathed a sigh of contentment at the contact as he delicately closed his eyes. He could hear Eren's heart beating faster than anything underneath him, which only made his own grow more excited, and he drew a shaky breath.

Levi had taken control of the dance, leading them slowly away from the center of the room, his blurred mind recalling the mistletoe that he had noticed earlier.

"Where are we going?" breathed Eren. His breath was hot against Levi's hair, heavy with the aromas of mint and beer and vodka - he had obviously had some other drinks before Levi had arrived - and he pulled away to look at Levi with an intense gaze that screamed of want and of pure desire. Levi's heart clenched and seemed to be threatening to beat out of his body. He could just barely keep himself calm and composed; the boy was turning him into a delirious mess. He had to do something immediately, he thought as he continued leading them both to a secluded corner of the room.

"Eren," he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"Do you consider yourself to know me well enough for you to be willing do something small for me? For my birthday?" Levi kept his eyes locked on Eren, anticipating the worst (yet hoping for the best).

"I think so," laughed the younger man softly. "I've sort of watched you purchase a croissant from me and eat it every day for four months." He looked down, failing miserably to hide his embarrassment. "I couldn't help it."

"Then do me a favor," said Levi, running his fingers through the lower part of Eren's soft hair. Eren nodded, and Levi smiled at him for the second time that night, looking up at the mistletoe hanging from a red ribbon on the ceiling. Eren followed his gaze, then looked back down, flashing a nervous grin at Levi.

"What is it?"

Levi's voice dropped to a low whisper, trembling with contained exhilaration. "Let me kiss you."


	2. Uncovered

_Wow. Here it is. The final chapter. Two out of two. We've been through one long-ass journey._  
 _Note the intense sarcasm._  
 _Either way, I'm quite proud of this, and this is the part you've all been waiting for, the reason for the M rating on the fic's thumbnail... You guess the rest. It's my first time writing any, though, so I'm sorry if any of it is incoherent or just is plain strange._  
 _Oh, in Chapter 1, did any of you lovelies catch that side-handed slick little reference to Eren's first few days in the trainee squad when he was given faulty 3D maneuvering gear?_  
 _Just wondering._  
 _Okay, well have fun reading this; it's quite sweet and adorable and Eren and Levi are both awkward little shits as usual. Using Levi's POV once more._  
 _Also, that song that was mentioned in the 1st chappy, make sure to listen to it as you go through the story. It works well. ("I knew I loved you," just as a reminder)_

* * *

"Let me kiss you," whispered Levi, his voice husky and unmistakably sensual.

He watched as Eren's eyes widened, then softened as the initial shock of what he had said had passed, his eyes crinkling at the corners and his closed mouth curving upward in a smile that he was obviously attempting to contain. Levi followed each movement that the boy made, everything he did that could be a sign of what he was thinking, of what he would reply, of how he might respond. He watched as Eren bit the inside of his lip in anticipation, and felt his trembling fingers tightening their grasp on his waist. Levi knew that he himself at least was at his ultimate breaking point, and the hint of a nod that the younger man made was enough to intoxicate him with desire.

Levi shifted his hands off of Eren's shoulders, gently stroking his soft cheek with the back of his right fingers and caressing his thick hair with his left, observing the tender way the boy leaned into his touch, closing his eyes gently and moving his own hands higher up on Levi's chest. Levi rose up on the tips of his toes, tilting Eren's head down (in order to make up for that damn height difference), and in one swift movement, he took a deep breath through his nose and leaned forward to press his lips onto the younger man's. They were chapped, he noticed, but soft nonetheless, and sweet. He pushed his fingers further through Eren's hair, pulling him yet closer, and Eren, gaining confidence, did the same to him, running one hand through his jet-black locks and using the other to gently massage the skin right under the collar of his shirt.

Levi pulled away to take a breath, keeping his eyes closed and touching his forehead to Eren's as he moved in to savor his lips again. Their noses brushed gently against each other as they repeatedly changed positions, taking quick sips of air as they pulled away from each other, then leaned in again. After what seemed like an eternity - possibly one of the most amazing eternities Levi had ever experienced - they opened their eyes, still remaining wrapped around each other.

Eren was wearing the most stupid yet attractive grin he had ever seen, his lips slightly swollen and a dark shade of rosy pink. Levi was forced to look away, raising a hand to partially cover his face in order to hide his obvious elation - and his increasingly bright blush that he was sure made his cheeks glow like firecrackers even in the dim neon light of the room.

Eren reached over to move Levi's hand. Levi watched as the boy smiled sweetly at him, opening his mouth to speak.

"Was that okay?"

 _That adorable fucker_. "You shithead," replied Levi in a breathless whisper, looking upward in order to lean their foreheads against each other. "That was..." _Not nearly enough_ , he finished in his head. He reached up to grasp Eren's hand in his, nuzzling it fondly. Eren's hands were gorgeous - how did even his _hands_ manage to be attractive? - with long fingers that were just slightly thicker than his own. Taking a moment to pay attention to detail, Levi observed that his fingertips were callused, a couple of his nails were bitten down, and - he noticed with a jolt - his palms were cut slightly in various places by what he knew to be marks of carelessness with a kitchen knife; but to Levi, it was these small imperfections that made him so intriguing, so alluring. "Do you mind if we do that again?"

"No," answered Eren, sounding distinctly less nervous than before and smiling that irresistible smile that made his eyes shine like emeralds.

"...Do you mind if I do a bit more?"

"Not in the least."

Levi didn't hesitate a moment, bringing his lips up to meet Eren's, fitting them together like the newfound pieces of a puzzle. He opened his mouth slightly, letting his tongue flit across Eren's bottom lip until he responded, and Eren pulled him even closer, letting his own lips separate and succumbing to the feverous desire that intensely filled them both. Levi kept both his hands on the back of Eren's head and neck in order to keep him close, reveling in the heat of the boy's skin. This kiss was different from the first, but no less enjoyable; instead of a sweet contact, it was bolder, burning, more desperate, and Levi drank in the taste of Eren's mouth like the beer he had never ended up finishing.

Eren tasted better than alcohol, though; his mouth was more addictive than a drug, and the flavor and heat of his lips and his tongue gave Levi more energy than caffeine. He allowed himself to deepen the kiss, smiling into Eren's lips as the younger man moved his hands along his upper back and kissed him back passionately.

Levi noticed that the previous song had ended a while back, and that they were now back to listening to some crappy remix of yet more loud and typical party music. It was amazing that he hadn't even noticed the change, he thought, as he gently pulled away from Eren, breathing heavily. His heart was threatening to leap out of his chest and bounce off the walls.

"You're a pretty damn good kisser," Levi murmured, smiling softly. There was nothing else he could say. He let his gaze travel freely from Eren's swollen lips, to his flushed skin, to his messy yet strangely attractive hair, which was sticking up slightly in a couple odd places, due to his harsh treatment of it as they were kissing, to the look in his halfway lidded eyes, which he could only qualify as pure seduction.

Eren didn't break eye contact with him as he answered. "You're not so bad yourself."

Hanji whooped loudly behind them, causing Levi to whip his head around angrily to glare at the one who had ruined his moment, only to find a small crowd gathered tightly together begin clapping and yelling enthusiastically. Levi scowled, dropping both his arms from Eren's shoulders in order to more effectively kill Hanji (and thank her slightly in the process for helping him out with the music) but Eren grabbed his hand protectively, running his thumb along the spikes on his bracelet and looking at him as if to say, _It_ _doesn't matter; I don't mind._

"Congratulations, Levi," beamed Erwin, who stood out like a sore thumb as the tallest member of the group of people. "You too, um... Eren, right?"

Eren nodded, blushing. Levi grimaced, turning his face to the ground. "Shut up, shitface," he muttered to Erwin.

Hanji, by this time, had made her way behind them, and gave them both a significantly hard pat on the back, grinning - in a way that Levi could only qualify as sadistic. Eren was nearly knocked off his feet, and Levi flinched as the younger man fell against him, although he straightened up and regained his composure within seconds - his ears remained quite red though, Levi observed. He kept his hand locked in Eren's, stuffing the other in the back pocket of his jeans and attempting to recover a certain appearance of his habitual nonchalance - and trying his best not to stare down at Eren's legs, because that boy had fucking _incredible_ hips.

"Come on," Levi said, forcefully tightening his grip on Eren's hand. "I have a sudden craving for cake."

Arriving at the table where there was still a rather titanic portion of birthday-Christmas cake, despite the amount of people who had already taken some, Levi grabbed a plate and cut himself and Eren a generous slice. _Dark chocolate_ , he observed, content that whoever had baked it or bought it had remembered his favorite flavor. He watched as Eren observed him expectantly as he took a small bite and savored it, pleasantly shocked by the flavor. He tasted something else, though, something slightly bitter yet immensely pleasing... Coffee.

Someone had somehow known that chocolate and coffee were his favorite combination of flavors, and Levi felt that he had somehow magically been sent to some sort of whipped cream and strawberry-topped dessert heaven.

"This cake is fucking amazing," he mumbled between bites. He lifted an eyebrow at Eren as he chewed, "Why are you still staring at me like that?"

Eren looked just about ready to spontaneously combust. "Do you like it?!"

"Fuck, yeah. It's the best thing I've ever eaten." He took another forkful, priding himself in his ability to remain neat and elegant even as he stuffed ungodly amounts of cake in his mouth. "What the hell, you haven't even taken a single bite out of yours? I would have thought that from working at Hanji's you would have been eager to -"

"It's not that!" interrupted Eren.

Levi rolled his eyes. Did he have to make it so obvious that he was just staring at Levi's mouth and -

"It's just... I'm the one who made it."

Levi widened his eyes at him in surprise. "You - You made this?" asked Levi, incredulous. Holy mother of Jesus, this brat had skill. Hanji _had_ told him that he was talented, but this? No wonder he kissed so well. Actually, what did baking have anything to do with it? His brain was jumping to strange conclusions and making irrational and illogical connections. He had a feeling that something odd was going on in his mind that night. He was in no way thinking straight, although his sexually charged and cake-filled thought process was not entirely helping him keep his cool.

"I - Hanji announced last week that it was your birthday, and she thought that someone should make you a cake... and I volunteered. She asked if anyone else wanted to help, but I told her that I wanted to make it myself, because I, uh... I wanted to..." Eren gesticulated with his hands, looking around searchingly, his face growing red.

Levi didn't grant him a chance to finish, putting down his plate to press a quick kiss to Eren's lips, unable to resist the temptation. "It's perfect. I'm not bullshitting you right now; you're perfect - " _Shit._ "I mean the _cake_! The _cake_ is perfect, though you're okay too - I mean... Oh god, fuck me and all of my family, god damn it..."

"Thank you."

"Eat, you little shit, before my mouth decides to spout any more crap."

"You're very eloquent," grinned Eren.

"Get used to it, fucker."

"Do you always curse this much?"

"I'm a generally rude human, you brat, so if you don't manage to ignore it, we're not going to get along very well."

"I don't mind it," laughed Eren. "Asshole," he added.

"You don't get to call me an asshole, you prick."

"You called me a bitch before."

"What's the crime if I'm telling the truth?"

"Fuck you, Levi."

"I'm hurt," he responded sarcastically, although his idiotic and horny brain was saying "gladly."

"Also, eyeliner suits you." Oh, so he was going at it with flattery now?

"Are you making fun of me? Just because we were making out five minutes ago doesn't mean I can't slap you straight down into hell right now. My cuffs could probably hurt you more than you'd think," said Levi, holding up his forearm as a warning.

Eren recoiled, putting his hands up. "I'm not making fun of you! You look... you look really good, okay? I'm just not used to seeing that many guys wearing eyeliner."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, thanks, whatever."

"Why do you wear it?" asked Eren curiously.

"Why do you wear pants?" retorted Levi, sighing and rolling his eyes. "I just like it. It makes me stand out, makes me different. It also goes with my general look."

Eren couldn't help but laugh at Levi's last statement, which he had pronounced with a distinct air of seriousness and sophistication.

"Shut up, Eren."

"No," giggled the boy, but his gaze moved away from Levi and to a point further off behind him, above his head. Levi turned around to find Erwin beckoning to him with his hand, and he walked off to see what the hell he wanted, telling Eren to give him a second.

At first glance, Erwin seemed to be all seriousness, but as Levi peered in closer, he saw a hint of a smile decorating his lips.

"What."

"Levi, I'm really glad that you seem to finally have found someone. In fact... I told everyone here that they're free to stay the night, and if you two are interested as well, the guest bedroom upstairs to the left is free."

"Why that one in particular?" demanded Levi suspiciously.

"Hanji and I... We got it ready for you, you know, just in case."

Levi narrowed his eyes at Erwin's amusement, blushing furiously. He made a slight nod, then turned and stormed off back to Eren, shooting a flustered and muffled "thanks" at Erwin.

"What did he want?" asked Eren. Oh god, now that Erwin had mentioned bedrooms... As he had stated before, Eren was undeniably... _hot_. Maybe it was some weird after-effect of the beer and that dreamy cake, and he presumed that the kiss had also helped to heighten his senses, but the younger man's curious look, combined with his tight, faded white shirt which had the two top buttons undone - giving a taste of his tanned chest, which stood out behind his pale clothes - had Levi yearning for more.

"Nothing. He didn't want shit. He was being a dumbass." _Yeah, smooth as fuck, Levi_ , he thought to himself. He was never going to get anywhere if he kept denying everything, but how was supposed to go about this? _You're hot and you have a nice ass, wanna go for a fuck?_ No, definitely not. He had a feeling that the brat would be willing to go with him even if he put it that way, but he _did_ have a certain level of pride as a self-proclaimed romantic that he would have preferred to keep intact.

But he couldn't restrain himself much longer either. There was only a limited span of time before his libido caught up with his mind and brought his body places he did _not_ want to be in public.

"Are you okay, Levi? You look sort of uncomfortable."

"Yeah." Uncomfortable, his ass. "Yeah, you wanna go somewhere else? It's pretty loud here."

Eren nodded, pursing his lips as to say that he too was feeling that the claustrophobic, noisy party ambiance was no longer what he wanted. Levi took this as a sign to grab him by the hand and lead him toward the stairs, where Eren stopped momentarily to look at him in curiosity.

"Upstairs?"

"Yes, upstairs. I'm good for a nice, crowded party once in a while, and tonight satisfied that need, but I want to talk to you somewhere where I can actually hear every single word you say." He wanted to hear every crack in Eren's voice, every strength and vulnerability, every wish, every desire, the unadulterated sound of a boy who knew that this night would make him a man.

Levi walked up the stairs with Eren at his heels, his steps nervous and tentative, looking back to check on him every couple of seconds. When they got to the second floor, they turned into the hallway, where the wall hid them from the view of anyone downstairs. It was too much. Levi spun around in a full circle to grab Eren by the shoulders and forcefully crash his mouth against his, pushing him up against the wall as their lips moved against each other in an unsynchronized, uncontrolled frenzy of stolen breaths and whispered moans.

Eren obviously knew where Levi was leading him as they kissed their way to the bedroom door, and, barely breaking contact with him, Eren reached for the doorknob and twisted it, leading to them falling heavily and clumsily on top of each other in the doorway.

Eren remained on the floor and exploded into peals of clear, pure laughter, and Levi, still half on top of him, attempted to prop himself up but failed, his arm slipping back down and causing him to collapse again. He too was shaking with laughter, and realized, stunned, that he hadn't laughed so hard in weeks, maybe months.

"I didn't... realize it opened... to the inside," wheezed Eren between giggles.

"You clumsy idiot."

Levi helped Eren up, and they ended up sitting cross-legged, facing each other. Once their amusement had died down, Levi spoke again.

"Listen, Eren," he began, awkwardly. "Eren, I've..." Shit, shit, shit. "I've liked you for a while." There, the bomb was dropped. There was nothing left to hide.

"I figured as much," answered Eren. His voice revealed no particular emotion, but his eyes were twinkling, and he was smiling nervously. "Truth is, Levi, I like you too."

"Well, thank god," sighed Levi.

Eren got up, blushing, and pulled Levi up along with him.

He was going to ask him, Levi decided. After having confessed, he had worked up the courage to say it, as the hardest part was now over and done with. "Eren..." continued Levi hesitantly. "Do you want to go out? With... me?" _Please don't answer no_ , he prayed silently.

Eren's face lit up. "You mean like... be together?"

Levi rolled his eyes, although he couldn't help smiling. "I'm asking if you want to be my boyfriend, you dolt. Simple enough."

"I'd love to," whispered Eren.

Levi's heart was once again in danger of bursting, but his muscles had a mind of their own, and were this time closing in on another area on his body as well. "Eren, it's my birthday," he started.

"Yup, I know."

"And everything you do is such a fucking turn-on; Eren, what do you say we make use of this spare bedroom here?"

Eren's wild, signature grin was back in action. "I _definitely_ wouldn't mind that."

Score.

They didn't waste a moment. Levi turned off the ceiling lights in the room, leaving only the bedside lamp turned on, bathing the bed in a warm, golden, hazy glow. Eren was the one who moved first this time, kissing him hard, his style a bit sloppier than Levi's, although it wasn't like either of them really minded. Levi opened his mouth to let in the younger man's tongue, letting him take over the kiss this time.

The bed was right behind them, and Levi put out a hand to hold himself up against the mattress, while his other hand was busy trying to unbutton Eren's shirt. His skin, his hair, his eyes - Levi's breath caught as he looked him over from top to bottom, and everything about him was even more beautiful in the dim light of the room. In the meantime, Eren's fingers were working furiously as they felt up Levi's skin under his shirt, which had been quickly unfastened and pulled out of where it had been tucked into his jeans. Levi helped Eren to shrug off his sleeves as he himself did the same, and he clambered backward onto the mattress, where Eren hurriedly followed.

Levi took the opportunity to turn things around, and used his upper body strength to pin Eren's back to the mattress. The boy was breathing heavily, smiling, his eyes expectant, his cheeks flushed, his toned chest moving up and down to the steady rhythm of his inhalations and exhalations. Both their shirts were lying crumpled and discarded on the floor, as were Eren's black converse and Levi's combat boots (when had that happened?). Levi began thinking that Eren's pants were beginning to look distinctly too tight. He leaned down, his hands on either side of Eren, and began leading a string of delicate kisses down from the base of his chin. When he reached his nipples, which were already eagerly hardened, he expertly gave them each a playful lick, resulting in a muffled moan from Eren. He continued moving down, finally reaching the seam of his pants, which he quickly unbuttoned and pulled down. Eren's erection was clearly visible through his boxers, and Levi stared at it hungrily for a few moments before speaking.

"Holy shit," breathed Levi.

"D-did I do something wrong?"

"Hell no, you idiot," he whispered, his hand moving frantically to unclasp his own jeans. He rapidly pressed a kiss to Eren's lips. "Eren, you're fucking beautiful."

"So are you." Eren reached out a hand to caress Levi's abdomen muscles, marveling at their firmness, and Levi, being the shameless asshole that he was, decided to press his palm down on the younger man's crotch, feeling a jolt of excitement as Eren let out a loud moan when he began moving it. The boy hurriedly clapped his hands onto his mouth, but Levi moved them aside.

"Don't hold back, Eren. I want to hear your voice."

"St- Oh my god, Levi, that feels so fucking good - Levi, why the hell are you still half dres... sed?"

Levi looked down at his jeans, then raised a teasing eyebrow at Eren. "If you want them off, take them off for me."

Eren made a messy grab at Levi's jeans, pulling them down swiftly. His eyes widened and lingered, unashamed, for a while on Levi's tight boxers, before tugging them down as well, letting out Levi's already semi-hardened member. Levi mirrored this movement to Eren, and, both fully exposed at last, took a moment to let his lips lightly brush Eren's forehead.

His hand moved back down between the younger man's legs, wrapping his fingers around his hardened shaft and fingering the slit lightly with his thumb, feeling Eren shiver in pleasure beneath him. He began moving his hand, slowly at first, then gradually faster as Eren let out small, adorably high-pitched whimpers, his head thrown back and his neck and chest muscles fully tightened in exhilaration. Levi bent down, keeping his hand movement steady, and pressed his mouth to a spot at the base of Eren's neck, where his skin was smooth and glistening with hints of sweat. He bit the skin softly, reveling at the moan of desire he received in response, then let his tongue swirl in small circles around it as he sucked on the area and blew out quick puffs of air. Pulling away, he smiled in a satisfied manner at the pink bruise that was already beginning to form.

He would let everyone know that he was his.

"L-levi..." whispered Eren, his breaths labored and shaky. "I'm... I'm... _Fuck,_ Levi, I'm -"

He came with a cry and a long shudder that shook his entire body, and Levi kissed him heavily, feeling his arms twist their way around his neck and his knees tighten their grasp on Levi's thighs. He could sense Eren getting hard again underneath him, his stamina still holding the power and relentlessness of youth. Levi leaned in closer to his ear, moving the thick brown hair that partially covered it to the side.

"Tell me what you want," he purred softly into Eren's ear, his breath hot against his boyfriend's cheek. He thought that word again - boyfriend, _his_ boyfriend - and felt a rush of satisfaction course through him, as if he had once again become a sappy, corny teenager with no greater purpose in life than to find someone, who would like him, truly, for who he was.

The younger man's eyes were burning with fiery passion and desire.

"God," whispered Levi, his eyes latching onto Eren's gaze and a smirk snaking its way across his lips. "You really want this, don't you?"

"Yeah." Eren's tone was more serious when he spoke again, carefully making sure that every word he said was made clear. "Levi, every other time I've had sex with someone, it was never really because I wanted to so much as because I was desperate for someone. Every other time, I regretted it immediately afterwards, but I know that this time, it won't be like that." He took a deep breath. "I've wanted this for a long time, and it's just the fact that it's you - your band t-shirts, your boots, your eyeliner, your grey eyes, fuck, I mean, even your sarcastic, rude personality - it's all just so perfect, and - I can't stop myself from thinking about you, looking forward to nine o'clocks on Monday mornings, when you always seem to have the most shit to complain about, just to have you talk to me."

Levi's eyebrows were raised in surprise. He had never realized that he meant so much to Eren, that he had actually been _thinking_ about him, maybe more... Although, being honest with himself, he had been doing the same, lying alone on the sofa in his apartment at night and imagining Eren with him to pass the time, to get rid of any stress and pent up energy and awkward boners.

"I thought I was the only one..." he trailed off, looking away.

"No," said Eren. "I want you. I want you so fucking bad, and I want to feel you inside of me," said Eren with quiet intensity, shocking Levi with his stable, controlled, yet amazingly lustful tone. "I want your cock to fill me up," he breathed, "and I want to feel you connected to me in ways I've only dreamed of."

Levi's breath hitched at Eren's words, and even with his crude phrasing, he was completely turned on, his pulse racing and blood rushing fast to his lower regions.

"You're sure you're ready for this?" asked Levi, just as a precautionary measure.

"Yes," replied Eren softly.

"Alright," said Levi, "just give me one second." A new box of condoms lay on the chair in the corner, freshly opened, next to a small tube of lube; he had noticed them when they had gotten onto the bed. Erwin and Hanji really _had_ gotten things ready, and he thanked them inwardly for it. Climbing awkwardly off the mattress, he went to grab one (and the lube), tearing the wrapper off with his teeth as he walked back. He felt Eren's eyes trailing hesitantly up and down his fully exposed body, and he quickly struck a teasing pose, his hand on his hip, before rejoining his boyfriend.

"Don't try to stop yourself from looking, Eren, there's not really any point anymore." He sat on the sheets, knees folded under him, as he began pulling on the condom, and soon felt Eren's warm hands on top of his, helping him along, although slightly shakily.

"Are you nervous?" Levi asked.

"A bit," Eren admitted.

"Don't worry," Levi assured him. "I'll make this the best night of your life." He rose up to a kneel, holding three fingers up to Eren's mouth. "Suck," he commanded, although his tone was gentle instead of forceful.

Eren made a show out of coating each finger with saliva, sucking them and running his tongue along the length of each, making Levi shudder with pleasure once more at the feverish heat of his mouth. After pulling his hand away, he spread Eren's legs wider, placing a wet finger at his entrance, then slowly pushed in. Eren squirmed a bit at the initial discomfort of this sudden presence in his body, tightening around him.

"Relax," murmured Levi. He added another finger, stretching him and continuing his steady rhythm of pushing in and pulling out, reveling in Eren's heat. Eren was closing his eyes as he bit his bottom lip, his hands clenched in fists at the sides of his head. Levi pushed in deeper, reaching his fingers in up to his knuckles, and curled them upward slightly. He felt his index brush against something deep inside the younger man, and Eren let out a small yell of pleasure as his eyes opened wide in surprise.

Bingo.

Levi kept hitting the same spot, eventually adding a third finger as Eren's cries became more desperate, more sensual, but his own cock was growing much too stiff to continue ignoring.

"More... Levi... I need more - ah, fuck!" he gasped as Levi pulled out and began lathering his own length with lube. As Levi started pressing forward, Eren took a small, shuddering breath, readying himself. He pushed in slowly, savoring the way his lover tightened up as they both let out a passionate cry of gratification.

"I'm going to start moving now," Levi whispered, his voice filled with lust. Eren answered with a small nod, his eyes halfway lidded as he lewdly grinded back against him. God, if this wasn't the most attractive sight he had ever seen... Levi gazed at him, enraptured, his cock throbbing with desire inside of the boy's body, his cheeks flushed, his eyes and the tips of his fingers tracing each line of the younger man's muscles, each shape, in order to remember it all forever.

He moved his hips in a steady rhythm, listening to Eren's quick breaths and small whimpers. "How do you feel?" he asked quietly.

"I - It hurts a bit - " Eren replied, his voice hitching as he winced.

"Sorry," muttered Levi. He shifted position, thrusting harder and deeper, and finally hit the spot he had been searching for. Eren moaned loudly, wrapping his hands around Levi's shoulders as he continued letting out sounds that Levi had never thought he would be able to make.

"Go faster... Please, oh god, Levi, that feels amazing!" he cried, reaching down to stroke himself and eventually finding a pace to match Levi's. Levi couldn't speak: his voice was choked up by the intense emotions and feelings coursing through him like cascades, and by Eren's beautiful body lying underneath him, his torso glimmering with sweat, his hand pumping his own shaft, glistening with precum. Levi pushed in with more intensity, exhilarated by the fact that this boy - this man, who he had spent countless nights thinking about - was lying with him, and those movements he had only dreamed of were becoming reality.

Moans and gasps filled the room; Levi periodically leaned in to sloppily run his lips across Eren's face as he tried to muffle his own groans of bliss. Eren was calling his name in a voice he barely recognized, his words mixed with swears and staggered breaths, his torso and abdomen muscles flexing as he passionately moved his hips to complement Levi's thrusts. Levi momentarily hoped that no one would come upstairs and hear them, but he quickly realized that he didn't care. Everyone could know what they were doing, and it wouldn't matter in the slightest because he was so hypnotized by all of his senses rushing in on him at once.

He continued moving, squeezing his eyes shut and tilting his head back as he felt himself reach his climax, the heat pooling at his crotch becoming too much to bear. "Eren," he managed between heavy breaths. "I'm gonna cum - Ah, shit!" he cursed as Eren tightened abruptly around him, causing him to release inside of him with a violent shudder.

Eren came at the same time, over their heaving chests, and collapsed against the mattress in satisfaction. Levi rode out his high, finally pulling out and falling dully on his back beside him as he smiled, leaning into Eren's forehead. After taking a few moments to catch his breath, he sat up again, pulling off the used condom and tying the end. He hopped off the bed to wrap it in a couple kleenex and throw it in the trash can, his heart still beating as hard as ever. He climbed back onto the mattress in the most elegant fashion he could manage while remaining stark naked and smelling strongly of sweat and sex.

"Were you staring at my ass?" he asked Eren teasingly.

"Yeah," replied Eren, unashamed. "It's the nicest one I've ever seen."

"Damn right," Levi grinned, kissing Eren delicately.

"I think that was probably the best fuck I've ever had."

"I sure hope it was." _It was for him, too._ Levi hadn't expected such a perfect night, in all honesty; his self-doubt had always been creeping back up to pinch him back into reality. He was delighted by the fact that this feeling was now virtually gone. Levi paused, his face regaining its seriousness. "How do you feel?"

Eren tried his best to sit up, managing only to drop back onto the pillows. He was laughing, though, a similar, uncontrolled, unedited, pure laugh as the one he had let out when they had crashed into the room. "I can't feel my legs."

Levi was chuckling as well, his voice slightly lower than Eren's. He wrapped an arm around him softly.

"I really like you, Levi," Eren whispered.

"I really like myself too."

"You're such a dick!" exclaimed Eren, playfully pushing Levi's arm away.

"Tch," replied Levi, rolling his eyes. "I like you too, Eren, don't worry," he smirked.

"Piece of shit..."

"Admit it. I'm fucking amazing. Especially after doing _that_ to you..."

"Fuck you," groaned Eren through a smile. "How is your eyeliner still so perfect? After all that?"

"It's waterproof."

"That exists?"

"I know my makeup," stated Levi proudly.

"God, you're so punk."

"You love it."

"I do, actually."

"I'm too tired to take it off, though," sighed Levi, rolling over onto his back. "What time is it?"

"Eleven fifty-six. It's still your birthday."

"That was a pretty great birthday present."

"I'm glad."

"Listen, Eren, do you want to go out together tomorrow? You know, just sit in a café and talk. Boring shit, I know, but..." He sounded needy and he knew it, but Levi wanted desperately to know more about him. He wanted to find out every little thing Eren liked, the things that made him tick and the things that made him rave, what they had in common and what they could both learn from each other -

"That actually sounds perfect," murmured Eren, running his fingers through Levi's hair. "We could go see the ice sculptures at the park..."

"And buy those fucking roasted chestnuts," he added. Damn it, now _he_ was the cheesy one, but whatever. "I've always kind of wanted to try some of those."

Eren smiled. "We could definitely do that. And just take a walk and relax together."

"And I'll laugh when a pigeon shits on your head."

"Oh my god, Levi, this is what I love about you," laughed Eren. "I actually _am_ tired though..." he yawned. "Do you mind just staying right here with me for the night?"

"Where else would I go, shit for brains?"

"Um..."

"Of course I'll stay here."

"Thank you."

After getting settled and turning off the lights, Levi whispered a soft _goodnight_ , earning a quiet reply from Eren. They fell asleep in moments, curled up against each other like spoons, Levi's hand on Eren's chest and his head resting against the warm crook of his neck.

XxX

Levi woke up extremely conscious of how he smelled, how the body next to him smelled, and how the room in its entirety stank of sex.

 _Fuck_ , he thought to himself as he glared blearily at the crumpled clothes and underwear on the floor. Cleaning up was going to be such a pain.

He gently pressed a kiss to Eren's head, ruffling his hair lightly so that he wouldn't disturb his sleep. It had definitely been worth it.

* * *

 _I really hope you enjoyed my fic! Please comment and favorite me (listen, I know that's not a verb but using my writer's power of modification I'm making it a verb this time) and just tell me what you think! Have a nice day/night/evening/morning/afternoon/hell._

 _Byyyyeee_


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